Vinegar helps you lose weight

Apple cider vinegar is added in homemade pickles, marinades, and salad dressing – because it is good for you.

Apple cider vinegar has been known to cure everything from the flu to warts. Although many of the benefits are unproven, but some experts think that adding a little of this sour liquid to your life may have some health benefits – including losing weight.

In Japan, a study was done involving 175 obese but healthy people who took either vinegar or water daily for 12 weeks.

The diets were similar and they all kept food journals.

At the end of the study, those who used vinegar had lost slightly more weight – the vinegar group lost 1-2 pounds over the 3-month period. However, they gained it all back after the study was over.

The researchers suggest that vinegar may turn on certain genes that are involved in breaking down fats.

The effect is probably very subtle, says Chicago dietitian Debbie Davis, RD. ‘It may have some benefits in terms of weight loss and weight management, but it is definitely not a quick fix.’

Don’t drink it straight – it is so acidic that it could harm your tooth enamel and your esophagus.

Don’t use a lot. ‘Dilute 1 to 2 tablespoons in a big glass of water, and sip it along with your meals one or two times a day,’ Johnston says.

If you want to lose weight, adding vinegar may help but exercise and diet portion control remain the mainstay!